Loveday Writing

The next morning, the house is being filled with countless gifts from law firms who have heard of Liz’s success, thanks to Stuart posting about it online. Edwina calls Liz informing her that her former boss, Roger, who fired her in the first season for bankruptcy, wants to throw a soiree in her honour and hire her back.

Later Liz and Harry meet with Sam and Geri to discuss the contract that they sent Harry at the end of the previous episode. Liz and Geri eventually have everything figured out, and Liz and Harry tell them about her master’s results and all the offers she’s received, including the soiree. Liz tells Sam and Geri that she plans on rejecting Roger’s offer in a humiliating fashion, which unnerves Sam.

Later, Harry and Liz go to the soiree only to find that Sam and Geri haven’t shown up yet. Harry calls Geri and she tells him they’re not coming and Sam has returned to Sydney. Harry returns to the party and sits at the table with Liz. Liz awkwardly rejects Roger’s offer after a drunk Edwina interrupts her speech, and she and Harry leave.

When she gets home Liz confronts Geri about not coming to the soiree, as well as Sam’s reactions to her plans to reject Roger’s offer. The conversation they have, which consists of their long history, culminates in Liz asking Geri if she hates her, Geri ends up admitting that she has feelings for her and always have, since they met. They kiss briefly, with Liz apologising and leaving the self-contained room. The next morning, Harry tells Liz that Geri told him that she and Sam are going through relationship issues, after Geri calls Liz, Liz tells him that Geri didn’t go into any details about the issues. Liz tells everyone that they’ll proceed with Simmo’s suggestion.

Ben, Heather, Ainsley and Simmo – There wasn’t much of a focus on them but the effects of Ben and Heather’s break-up could easily be seen with Ben sleeping in the laundry and Heather not wanting to be in the same room as him. Mia comes to visit unexpectedly to see Heather and asks her why she hasn’t been responding to her messages. Heather tells her that she’s been feeling low and she shuts people out because she doesn’t want to infect the people she loves with how she feels. Mia admits she’s worried she’s going to lose her and Heather reassures her she won’t.

Hours later when Bec comes to pick Mia up, Heather asks Bec whether the hook up was part of a bigger plan or just a one-off. Bec tells her it was just a one-off.

The next morning Simmo suggests to Liz that he moves in to resolve the Ben-Heather situation. He proposes he and Ainsley move in to the self-contained room so Ben could take Ainsley’s bedroom upstairs and Heather could stay where she is. Ainsley asks Liz to discuss Simmo’s proposal privately and she confides in Liz that she’s never lived with a partner before and she’s anxious. Later when Ben and Heather run into each other in the kitchen, she tells Ben that if Simmo’s idea gets approved by the other housemates, she’ll take Ainsley’s bedroom as she’ll only have to share a bathroom with Liz.

Overall I felt this was a solid follow up after Ben revealing his infidelity to Heather. I felt it was true to their characters and to the unconventional and awkward situation they have found themselves in. In regards to the Harry-Liz-Geri subplot, while I wasn’t surprised that Geri had feelings for Liz, I didn’t see the kiss coming. I’m looking forward to seeing how Simmo moving in will change the dynamic within the house, and how Liz and Geri’s kiss affects Harry’s plans to be Geri and Sam’s sperm donor.

Best one liners and interactions:

• “Thank you, thank you kindly. It’s overwhelming. I don’t ever think I’ve seen a more beautiful centre piece…Roger you’re justly famous for your incredible warmth. So warm it’s amazing there haven’t been lawsuits. Just kidding, of course there was one settled for an undisclosed yet substantial sum. But as I stand here receiving the warmest of welcomes, I can’t quite forget that in my darkest hour, you showed me the coldest of shoulders. So I cannot in all good conscience, accept your offer. Nevertheless, I ask you all to raise your glasses to Roger’s generosity, conditional though it may be, and try to forget his hubris, his misogyny, his ego, his mansplaining, his unfortunate nasal hair, his thinly-veiled racism, cheers! Be honest with me, have I cut it back too much or is the ‘Ode to My Bankrupt Self’ stronger?” (Liz practising her toast to Roger on Harry, and then asking for his feedback)